The best example of filial piety

To realize his mother's dream, a 26-year-old man pushed his physically disabled mother from Beijing to Xishuangbanna, Yunnan province, in a wheelchair. That it took him 93 days to complete the journey speaks volumes of his dedication to his mother. In recent years, this is by far the best example of filial piety, which seems to be lacking among many youths today, says an article in Guangzhou Daily. Excerpts:

Filial piety is an integral part of Chinese culture, which can be expressed both through words and actions. The Beijing youth walked 3,359 kilometers to cover the distance from Beijing and Xishuangbanna, and the physical and metal exertion that he underwent during his arduous journey is more than proof of his filial piety.

Grown-up children can show filial piety by meeting their parents' material, emotional and spiritual needs. The youth met all these needs of his mother when he pushed her on a wheelchair from the capital to the city in Yunnan to realize her dream.

But since nowadays it is comparatively easy for many grown-up children to meet their parents' material needs, they ought to pay more attention to their emotional and spiritual needs.

Ways to meet the emotional needs of parents has been highlighted in the "New 24 Paragons of Filial Piety", which includes taking parents on excursions and accompanying them to visit their old friends. Grown-up children should realize that it's not enough to just meet their parents' material needs. It is equally important for them to take care of their parents' emotional and spiritual needs.

What makes the youth's effort more important is that he spread the message of filial piety among the people he met on his journey. No wonder, many people helped him and his mother during their long trip.

What's more, he has decided to establish a scooter traveling group for physically disabled parents when he returns to Beijing to help more people like his mother to travel across the country. Hopefully, he will inspire other people to take good care of their parents.

(China Daily 10/18/2012 page9)